Austerity
by Dubious Sight
Summary: 'But then, just like that night all those years ago, he was gone. And she was alone.' A collection of drabbles regarding often-forgotten Rolanda Hooch for Fire the Canon's Character of the Week Drabble Competition - Winner.
1. Chapter 1

**Austerity**

_Prompt: involve your given character in a romantic relationship_

* * *

**She** had just finished penning the letter to him with her finest of quills and parchment she had been gifted, but never dared to use. Not for the first time that day she wondered why she the urge she had to write the letter in the first place. It wasn't as if the owner would ever receive it. Hell, she didn't even know his name!

But, oh, how she remembered the way his hands had ghosted down her sides, barely there yet still igniting a passion within her that she had long since believed had burned out. If she closed her eyes she could still feel his warm breath against her cheek as he was kissing her goodbye…

Until him and all his dark, brooding handsomeness was ripped away from her.

It was stupid, really. The whole interaction between herself and the most alluring man she had ever met lasted all of about five minutes, yet nothing she could do would rid her of the images in her head.

The dreams were maddening, tempting. She had to find him. She had to satisfy the burning desire that was slowly consuming her until she was nothing but a simpering mess.


	2. Chapter 2

**Austerity**

_Prompt: involve your given character in a platonic/familial relationship_

* * *

"**Aleaza**, I understand, but you must see where I am coming from," she tried to reason with her sister, who was currently staring into the depths of the waning fire in her living room. She wasn't supposed to be here—the headmaster would have been notified of the intrusion and could enter at any moment. She should have never opened the ruddy connection.

But, her sister…

"Rolanda, I don't have anywhere else to go, you know this!" She spun, dropping the glass of whisky.

Neither woman made any attempt to clean the mess.

"Oh god, it hurts. It burns. You must help me. I cannot go to him, not after this," Aleaza ground out between her clenched teeth as she gripped her blazing arm. Her sister slowly began to move from her position behind the desk, guiding her sister to the old settee. She sat down with her, laying her head down on her lap as she begin to convulse, the pain from the dark mark spreading through her entire nervous system.

On and on it went, and Rolanda prayed the torture would end. She held out hope that it would be in time to save her.

A thin stream of tears slipped from Rolanda's control as the trembling ceased.


	3. Chapter 3

**Austerity**

_Prompt: must be written in first person_

* * *

_**Oh** gods, I beg of you. Please grant my sins forgiveness. If only I had…_

_No. Don't. I don't deserve it for the atrocious acts I have committed. Some would say they were acts of war, but I know better. War is but an excuse for them to run wild and liberate themselves from their own control. It is their way of justifying the cruel acts they had been hiding deep within their souls, lying in wait for the right moment. _

_I won't let myself excuse my actions, I won't listen to the others. _

_"It wasn't your fault," they say. _

_Then who's fault is it? There is only one to blame and that is myself. _

_I can't sleep. Every night their faces plague me, sometimes begging me to help them and other times turning their wands on myself just as I did to them. _

_How can I continue when I know what I did? No charges shall ever be laid against me, so I must lay them against myself. I have always been a woman of justice and I cannot let myself walk away when others have been convicted for less. _

_Whatever the fates have planned, I shall no longer take part in it. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Austerity**

_Prompt: involve Hogwarts, Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley in some way_

* * *

**She** didn't hold back the grief this time. She welcomed the sobs that wracked though her body, almost grateful for her cloudy vision—she wouldn't subject herself to their judgemental eyes.

She trudged down the gravel lane at the completion of the ceremony. She had only one destination in mind.

The Hog's Head.

"Two shots of your strongest sprit, please," said Rolanda, slumping down onto the bar, only controlling her sobs long enough to spit out the sentence.

Aberforth complied, placing a box of tissues in front of her as well. She was grateful.

She didn't remember what happened after that, not really. It was all too unclear, but then that was her intention in the first place. She didn't care what happened to herself anymore. They had all been through so much, it was a miracle their world even continued to function. Every time she stepped out of her hovel, she expected to see no signs of life or any activity whatsoever. She felt they owed that to the dead, at least. Their worlds had ended, she why shouldn't hers? Why were they allowed to live when they deserved to die.

She didn't believe in justice. Not after all she had lived through.


	5. Chapter 5

**Austerity**

_Prompt: Yellow_

* * *

**The** next time she saw him was on her death bed. She remembered the way she stared into the blazing sun, burning her corneas in the process. The had thought the bright, yellow light would bring her answers, but ironically all it brought her was darkness.

She had seen him again, briefly, after all those years in all his handsome glory. She couldn't tell you if it were really him, or simply a concoction of her mind to ease the shock and pain of her slow descent into oblivion.

Either way, in that moment she saw the life she could have had, if only Aleaza didn't step in and rip away everything good in her life. Oh, how she resented her.

But there he was, standing over her, whispering how he missed her. His darkness was a stark contrast to the yellow brightness that framed his wonderful physique—at least, what she assumed was a wonderful physique hidden under layers of billowing, dark robes.

But then, just like that night all those years ago, he was gone.

And she was alone.


End file.
